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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a dance
  9. object — to protest
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stem — to come from
  18. object — an aim
  19. bat — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. object — a thing
  23. fine — all right
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com